INTERNET OF THINGS: CARMILA AND THE IoT VALLEY – A WIN/WIN PARTNERSHIP

Carmila and the IoT Valley, an ecosystem of companies dedicated to the Internet of Things based in the Toulouse region, have been deploying new IoT services and solutions together since September 2017. The aim is to improve the customer experience in shopping centres. We take a look at some of the first projects implemented.

How can objects share information and interact with visitors in order to improve the quality of the customersjourneys through shopping centres? That's the question that Carmila and the IoT Valley have been trying toanswer.

Since it was created in 2014 by Carrefour and a number of major investors, Carmila has adopted an innovation strategy designed to enhance the retail experience across all of its assets, most of which are leaders in their particular catchment areas. This involves entering into partnerships of convenience with its partner Carrefour Property at local level. These partnerships are designed to meet the needs of direct clients – retailers operating in the shopping centres, – as well as those of end customers – consumers.

Carmila is well established in the Toulouse region with a regional office as well as several shopping centres (including Labège 2). Working alongside the IoT Valley was therefore an obvious choice – they serve as a business accelerator for start-ups as well as more established companies, and can provide bespoke project management services.

By joining the IoT Valley in September, Carmila’s and Carrefour Property’s teams have demonstrated their ability to create fully-fledged synergies with start-up companies, focusing on two areas of work:

optimising the customers journeys and the way in which assets are operated (maintenance, energy,etc.),

creating new services designed to meet the aspirations of tenant retailers and – ultimately – consumers'expectations.

To date, 9 IoT solutions developed by start-up companies incorporated into the IoT Valley have been implemented in Carmila shopping centres: ...